Denture connecting device



H. C. TIFFT DENTURE CONNECTING DEVICE May 17, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 10, 1958 i. G 1 T INVEN R. HAROLD C.'T| F'- WWmaqfi May 17, 1960 H. c. TIFFT 2,936,523

DENTURE coumscwmc navzcz:

Filed Oct. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HAQQLD C Tl F'F-T %%amm r mm ATTQZHEYS DENTURE CONNECTING DEVICE Harold C. Tifit, Averill Park, N.Y.; Alice L. Tiift and State Bank of Albany, executors of said Harold C.

Tifit, deceased Application October 10, 1958, Serial No. 766,607

6 Claims. (Cl. 32-4) The present inventionrelates to a device for connecting upper and lower dentures together for movement relative to each other.

It is the experience of many a person who has been fitted with upper and lower denture plates that full use of the denture plates in chewing of food is not obtainable due to loosening and dropping of the upper denture or loosening and raising of the lower denture when the persons lower jaw executes a rotary chewing movement. Various expedients have been resorted to in an effort to provide a means by which the upper denture plate and the lower denture plate are maintained in their places at all times during chewing and articulating movements of the jaws of the user. Such means have included springs, adhesives, magnetic materials, and the like. Generally, such means have proved unsatisfactory for failing to provide for relative movements of the dentures with respect to each other.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device or means for connecting upper and lower dentures together, such means permitting rotary movement of the lower jaw of the user relative to the upper jaw for chewing and articulation movements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for connecting upper and lower dentures together which permits the employment of a roofless upper denture which does not cover a protruding hard area sometimes found in the center of the upper jaw of an individual.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means for connecting a pair of denture plates together which permits the employment of a full lower denture for the jaw of an individual who has lost bone structure due to disease or other reason, such full lower denture being normally unacceptable to such an individual.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a means for connecting upper and lower dentures together which is universally acceptable to all forms of upper and lower dentures, one which is simple in structure, one which may be employed with dentures fabricated of various materials, and one which is economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which: i

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an upper and lower denture assembly shown connected together by the means or device of the present invention, the dotted line showing indicating the upward movement of the lower denture upon jaw closing movements of the individual wearing the dentures;

Figure 2 is a view of the lower denture taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, showing one side of the dentures;

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1 and on an enlarged scale;

rates Patent Figure 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing a half portion of the upper denture;

Figure 6 is an exploded view of the device or means of the present invention employed with the dentures shown in Figures 1 to 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevational view, showing a modified form of the means of the present invention shown attached to one side of the upper and lower den-r tures;

Figure 8 is an exploded isometric view of the means shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is an isometric view of a special form of an upper denture with a modified form of the connection or anchoring means of the present invention shown installed therein;

Figure 10 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 1010 of Figure 9;

. Figure 11 is a fragmentary elevational view showing in dotted lines another form of the anchoring means employed by the present invention; and

Figure 12 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 12-12 of Figure 11.

Referring in detail to Figures 1 to 6, the numerals 14 and 16 designate upper and lower denture plates. of conventional construction, respectively. The device or means of the present invention for connecting the plates '14 and 16 together for movement relative to each other. is designated generally by the numeral 18.

The means 18 comprises an anchor embodying asplit sleeve or tubular socket 213 fixedly secured to the upper plate 14 on each side thereof by dovetailed lugs 22 and 24 which are embedded in the material of the plate 14.

An elongated slideway 26 is cooperatively positioned with respect to each of the sockets 20 and is fixedly at-' tached to the lower plate 16 by means of other dovetailed lugs 28 and 30 which are embedded in the material of the lower plate 16.

The present invention includes a pair of spring eiements 32, each having intermediate its ends a portion 34 bent back upon itself to form a pair of spaced legs 36 and 38. The leg 38 is longer than the leg 36 and the free end of the leg 36 is bent upwardly (Figure 6) and is received in and secured in the adjacent socket 20.- Means is provided on the free end of the leg 38 for con-. nection to the adjacent slideway 26 for back and forth sliding movement. This means consists in a flattened portion 40 terminating in a ball formation 42, as shown most clearly in Figure 6.

Another ball formation 44 is formed on the free end of the vertically disposed part of the leg 36 and is slidably received through the split sleeve or tubular socket 20 and when inserted through the socket 20 serves to restrain downward movement of the spring element 32 and detachment of the spring element 32 from the socket 20.

The slideway 26 is formed of a first bar 46, of substantial U-shaped configuration, having the lugs 28 and 30 on and formed integrally with the free ends of its legs 48 and 50 and with the bight 52 provided with an outwardly bent minor portion 54. A second bar 56 extends between the legs 48 and 50 of the bar 46 in spaced relation with respect to the major portion of the bight 52 and has a part adjacent one end formingwith' the outwardly bent minor portion 54 ofthe bar 46 an opening for the insertion therethrough of the ball 'forma tion 42 on the spring element 32.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, a modified form of theslideway is shown and which comprises a U-shaped bar' 58 having anchoring lugs 60 and 62 on the free ends of passing the bight of the bar 58 and slidable thereon. The

spring element 64 has a part 68 bent back upon itself to form a long leg 70, carrying the sleeve 66, and a short leg 72 having a portion inwardly of its free end projecting vertically and terminating in a ball formation '74.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, a modified form of the socket of the present invention is shown secured to the rearward end portion of a modified upper plate 76, the socket in this embodiment being designated generally by the numeral 78. The socket 78 is pivotally supported in an eye formation 80 formed on the free end portion of an anchor strip 82 having a dovetailed lug on the other end thereof, the lug being shown in dotted lines in Figure 9 and designated by the reference numeral 84. The lug 84 is embedded in the material of the plate 76, there being a socket 78 on each side of the plate 76, although only one socket 78 is shown.

The socket 78 includes a split sleeve 86 soldered or formed integrally with a bracket member 88 which terminates in a hinge connection 90 pivotally mounted in the eye formation 80 of the strip 82. The sleeve 86 is adapted to receive therethrough the upwardly turned portion of the short leg 36 of the spring element 3-2 or the short leg 72 of the spring element 64.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12, a modified form of the anchor or socket is shown embedded in the upper plate 92 of a pair of upper and lower plates 92 and 94. The anchor or socket in this embodiment is designated generally by the reference numeral 95 and comprises a split hollow ball 96 adapted to receive therein either the ball formation 44 or ball formation 74 of the spring elements 32 or 64, respectively, when such spring elements are employed with this embodiment of the means for pivotally anchoring the spring element of the lower jaw 94 to the upper jaw 92. It is understood that there is a socket 95 on each side of the upper plate 92. Each socket 95 is provided with and formed integrally with a dovetailed lug 98 which is embedded in the material of the plate with which it is associated.

In use, the means of the present invention for connecting upper and lower denture plates together for movement relative to each other, in each of the embodiments above described, enables the user thereof to chew and rotate the lower jaw or mandible without loosening the upper denture, the spring elements employed serving to hold the denture plates out of contacting engagement with each other when the plates are in position in the jaws of the user and the jaws of the user are in a partially open position, the spring elements employed being shiftable to a compressed state upon closing movement of the jaws of the user to permit the denture plates to be moved into contacting engagement with each other.

In each of the embodiments of the present invention, the anchor or socket is secured to the upper denture plate in the posterior portion while the spring element is attached to the lower denture plate between the first and second bicuspids and the first and second molars. In this position, the spring element has a length sufl'icient to provide the required resiliency. It also puts pressure in the middle of the lower denture, on each side thereo the pressure holding the lower denture in place.

The means of the present invention for connecting upper and lower denture plates together for movement relative to each other, in each modified form shown and described, permits the employment of a roofless upper denture plate which leaves exposed the roof of the mouth and exposes the taste buds of the mouth to contact by the tongue. The absence of denture material across the roof of the mouth also allows heat and cold to contact the tissue of themouth which obviates to a great extent the absorption of the bone of the mouth which is a common occurrence when full upper and lower dentures are worn. Further, the elimination of the denture material in the roofof the mouth permits the user of the denture to talk-with full confidence and to execute chewing movements without fear that the upper denture will rock about the generally existing hard area in the center of the roof of the mouth. The connecting means of the present invention for upper and lower plates serve to enable the user thereof to enunciate more clearly for the reason that a horseshoe type of upper plate may be employed exposing all of the rugae in the palate of the mouth of the user, it being common knowledge that enunciation of words is accomplished by a speaker by engagement of the tip of the tongue with the rugae in the palate of the mouth. The means for connecting the upper and lower denture plates of the present invention as heretofore described may be employed with upper and lower denture plates of all forms of construction including those which have full saddles or partial saddles exposing the true gums of the wearer and including full or partial plates having various formations for anchoring the plates to the gums and jaws of the wearer.

What is claimed is: p

1. In combination with upper and lower denture plates, means for connecting said plates together for movement relative to each other, said means comprising an anchor secured to one of said plates, an elongated slideway cooperatively positioned with respect to said anchor and fixedly attached to the other of said plates, and a spring element having one end secured to said anchor and having the portion adjacent the other end connected to said slideway for back and forth movement therealong, said element being formed to hold said denture plates out of contacting engagement with each other when said plates are in position in the jaws of a user and the jaws of said user are in a partially open position and being shiftable to a compressed state upon closing movement of the jaws of said user to permit the denture plates to be moved into contacting engagement with each other.

2. In combination with upper and lower denture plates, means for connecting said plates together for movement relative to each other, said means comprising an anchor embodying a socket secured to one of said plates, an elongated slideway cooperatively positioned with respect to said anchor and fixedly attached to the other of said plates, and a spring element having intermediate its ends a portion bent back upon itself to form a pair of spaced legs, one of the legs being longer than the other of said legs, the free end of the shorter leg being secured to said socket and the portion adjacent the free end of the longer leg being connected to said slideway for back and forth movement therealong, said element being formed to hold said denture plates out of contacting engagement with each other when said plates are in position in the jaws of a user and the jaws of said user are in a partially open position and being shiftable to a compressed state upon closing movement of the jaws. of said user to permit the denture plates to be moved into contacting engagement with each other.

3. In combination with upper and lower denture plates, means for connecting said plates together for movement relative to each other, said means comprising an anchor secured to one of said plates on each side of the latter, an elongated slideway cooperatively positioned with respect to each of said anchors and fixedly attached to the other of said plates, and a spring element having one end secured to each of said anchors and having the portion adjacent the other end connected to the adjacent slideway for back and forth movement therealong, said elements being formed to hold said denture plates out of contacting engagement with each other when said plates are in position in the jaws of a user and the jaws of said user are in a partially open position and being shiftable to a compressed state upon closing movement of the jaws of said user to permit the denture plates to be moved into contacting engagement with each other.

4. In combination with upper and lower denture plates, means for connecting said plates together for movement relative to each other, said means comprising an anchor embodying a socket secured to one of said plates on each side of the latter, an elongated slideway cooperatively positioned with respect to each of said anchors and fixedly attached to the other of said plates, and a pair of spring elements each having intermediate its ends a portion bent back upon itself to form a pair of spaced legs, one of the legs being longer than the other of said legs, the free end of the shorter leg being secured to the adjacent socket and the portion adjacent the free end of the longer leg being connected to the adjacent slideway for back and forth sliding movement, said elements being formed to hold said denture plates out of contacting engagement with each other when said plates are in position in the jaws of a user and the jaws of said user are in a partially open position and being shiftable to a compressed state upon closing movement of the jaws of said user to permit the denture plates to be moved into contacting engagement with each other.

5. In combination with upper and lower denture plates, means for connecting said plates together for movement relative to each other, said means comprising an anchor embodying atsocket secured to one of said plates, an elongated slideway cooperatively positioned with respect to said anchor and fixedly attached to the other of said plates, and a spring element having intermediate its ends a portion bent back upon itself to form a pair of spaced legs, one of the legs being longer than the other of said legs, the free end of the shorter leg being secured to said socket and the portion adjacent the free end of the longer leg being detachably connected to said slideway for back and forth movement therealong, said element being formed to hold said denture plates out of contacting engagement with each other when said plates are in position in the jaws of a user and the jaws of said user are in a partially open position and being shiftable to a compressed state upon closing movement of the jaws of said user to permit the denture plates to be moved into contacting engagement with each other.

6. In combination with upper and lower denture plates, means for connecting said plates together for movement relative to each other, said means comprising an anchor embodying a socket secured to one of said plates, an elongated slideway cooperatively positioned with respect to said anchor and fixedly attached to the other of said plates, and a spring element having intermediate its ends a portion bent back upon itself to form a pair of spaced legs, one of the legs being longer than the other of .said legs, the free end of the shorter leg being detachably secured to said socket and the portion adjacent the free end of the longer leg being connected to said slideway for back and forth movement therealong, said element being formed to hold said denture plates out of contacting engagement with each other when said plates are in position in the jaws of a user and the jaws of said user are in a partially open position and being shiftable to a compressed state upon closing movement of the jaws of said user to permit the denture plates to be moved into contacting engagement with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 1,079,955 France May 26, 1954 

